Transferability and Cost-effectiveness of PROSPECT in Surgical Trainees (PROSPECT)

The main goal is to design a comprehensive endovascular simulation curriculum consisting of cognitive and psychomotor skills training for endovascular management of symptomatic vascular disease in the lower limbs (Rutherford classification 2-5; stenosis or occlusion in the iliac, superficial femoral and popliteal arteries). The curriculum will consist of E-learning, video-based learning and simulation exercises on the Virtual Reality simulator on which an endovascular procedure will be simulated.

Skills transferability to real life practice will be verified by means of a RCT. In this RCT the investigators will compare the cognitive knowledge and technical performance of curricular trained surgical trainees with conventionally trained trainees during treatment of patients under supervision. The hypothesis states that surgeons trained within the PROSPECT curriculum will show improved technical knowledge of endovascular treatment of atherosclerotic disease in the iliac, superficial femoral and popliteal arteries and will demonstrate increased technical proficiency in the angiosuite in comparison with surgeons who received only conventional training. Subjects will be surgical trainees (N=32). They will be randomized into a three groups: a control group (N=11), a group that only has access to E-learning (N=10) and a PROSPECT group (N=11). Both groups will continue their traditional clinical education and the PROSPECT group will additionally be trained within this endovascular curriculum. The investigators hope that this study may ultimately lead to an improvement in the quality of patient care by standardizing competencies of endovascular operators in training and practice.

Additionally a cost-effectiveness analysis of PROSPECT compared to traditional training modalities will be executed. A successful training program is expected to lead to a shortening of the learning curve, reduction in number of errors during real life procedures and more efficient use of hybrid angio suites. The financial impact of potentially shorter duration of endovascular interventions will be studied and compared to time investment and additional costs associated with stepwise, supervised training using VR simulators.